Diamonds are NOT a Girl's Best Friend
by funkafied1
Summary: Angel is mad at Collins, and it's certainly not for any reasons you can think of! Why are diamonds not a girl's best friend? Hmm...


Quick piece I wrote. Hope you like. R&R please.

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Collins found her on her usual patch of sidewalk drumming. He took a deep breath and moved to stand beside her.

"Angel." Collins felt the pangs in his chest deepen at her lack of response as if no one had spoken. Slowly Collins got on his knees almost in front of her.

"Angel." His voice barely audible due to shortness of breath. "I'm really sorry. You have to believe me. I just…I don't know what to do to make you believe me, or how to make it up to you." As Angel's drumming became even louder, Collins held his head in his hand, sighing deeply. After several long moments, the drumming stopped abruptly. Collins looked up seeing Angel's eyes welled up as she clutched her drumsticks and stared at her feet. Collins moved to place a hand on her knee, but Angel moved it quickly out of his grasp and buried her head in her hands, dropping the drumsticks suddenly.

"Angel." Collins whispered, mostly to himself. "Baby, please. Don't cry. I'm so sorry. Please. Don't—" Angel abruptly stood up and began walking away and wiping her eyes furiously. It took Collins several moments to register what happened before he quickly grabbed the plastic pickle tub and drumsticks, and ran after Angel.

"Angel, please, just—" Suddenly she turned around, stopping Collins in his tracks mere inches away from her. She looked really angry.

"How could you make me feel so stupid? Don't my feelings matter to you! What was I thinking even imagining that you could possibly be…" Angel's volume decreased greatly, and she snatched her belongings from Collins's hands as she continued walking away from him and muttering to herself.

"I just, I was joking, and…" despite his efforts, Collins knew that there was no stopping her. He had to deal with this on her terms, and give her the space she needed for now.

_I didn't think she'd be so offended. It was just a joke—or at least I intended it to be. _Collins remembered the night before when, while hanging out at the Life, Angel jokingly asked Collins whether he would get her a diamond ring for Valentine's Day in front of all those gathered.

"Of course not, I'm not gonna support African slave labor in Sierra Leone or anywhere else for that matter. Haven't my people suffered enough?" Someone high-fived Collins from across the table as Angel just sat there dumbfounded. She didn't say much of anything for the rest of the night, except to Mimi, whom she left with in order to have, what Collins thought was, girl talk. Angel did not return to the loft for the rest of the night, but Collins figured that she must have just fallen asleep at Mimi's. Since he had to go to work the following morning, Collins figured he'd call during his lunch. When he did, Collins was surprised that Angel hung up on him as soon as she realized who it was and did not answer the phone for the rest of the day. It hit Collins pretty quickly why Angel was upset as his own words replayed themselves in his head over and over again. How could have he been so stupid—he knew how much Angel loved school and how she always regretted not being able to go back because she had to support herself since she was sixteen. As such, it really bothered her when people talked down to her and acted as though she was just a silly boy in a dress—especially people she cared about. As expected, Angel was not home when Collins returned…and he knew that apart from Mimi's there was only one other place Angel went to vent.

Now Collins cursed himself further as Angel disappeared into the crowd. He knew that he should just go home and let Angel take the lead of the situation because he had really messed things up, and there was little he could do to fix it until she was ready.

Hours later Angel entered the loft in the midst of Collins attempting to re-read the same page over and over again on the couch. Slowly Angel grabbed a glass of water and sat in a chair adjacent to Collins. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I didn't mean to yell at you…well I guess I did, but it was just that I felt so disrespected. I was just joking and you were having a laugh at my expense in front of everyone. I don't claim to know everything, but I also deserve to be treated at least as well as anyone else sitting at that table. Let me be frank and say that I was really afraid for a moment that this is truly how you saw me—as a self-centered bigot who didn't know anything outside their own world. And suddenly it occurred to me that maybe you changed your mind about everything since I don't have a ligit job, and I certainly never went to college, well, among other things. Anyway, if that's how you feel I just want you to be honest with me." Silent tears slid down Angel's cheek, but she still attempted to hold her head up high as Collins's chest tightened further at the realization of what she was really saying.

"It's okay, I just need to know. I mean I've lived on my own for so long—if you have to stay here until you find some other place, that's fine but I just, I need you to be honest—"

"Angel, please," Collin scooted closer to her, "this is _all_ my fault. Sometimes I just say shit without thinking about it, and I hope you know that I think the world of you." He took a deep breath before touching Angel's hands as they rested in her lap. "I'm the idiot who makes smart ass jokes to impress other people, and you're the one who can solve any problem on this Earth—"

"Yeah, but—"

"No. _Any_ problem, Angel. You are so brilliant that my words and apologies will never be able to truly encompass that because you as so wise, and I'm so lucky to even have met you. You have to know that I'm so sorry," Collins was now on his knees in front of Angel, wiping away her tears, "and I never want to disrespect you even for a moment, and if I was ever going to leave you, it would be because I'm not deserving of your kindness and the way you care for me like no one else ever has. I don't know what I'd do without that." Angel proceeded to stand up and pull Collins to his feet. As he embraced her, Angel tried to bury her face deep within his chest and listen to his heartbeat as he kissed her head and whispered his repeated apology.

"I'll even buy you Benny as your personal servant if you want it," mumbled Collins as Angel giggled and hit his chest lightly. Collins kissed her hair once more and pulled her onto his lap as he sat down and soothed her back, with her head in the crook of his neck once more.


End file.
